Thursday, April 18, 2013

California Girl Chronicles: Brea's Big Break, Chapter 2 -- Sample

California Girl Chronicles: Brea's Big Break, the second book in the series, releases just in time for summer fun. Many readers of the first book Brea and the City of Plastic wondered what happened to our intrepid screenwriter with a propensity to be distracted by hot men. Below find an excerpt from chapter 2. We will be officially releasing the second book in July and selling it during the upcoming book tour for Vengeance is Now, which hits the road next on April 26th.

2

Later that week, I met Maya at a small
café up the street from the office. It was a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf with
patio furniture sitting on the terrace outside of the main street. I was
sitting in the cool morning sunshine, sipping my hazelnut-flavored coffee when
a shadow passed over my table. I looked up to find Curtis standing there. I had
not seen him much that week after our initial encounter, but every time I
passed him in the hallway, he winked and grinned. He seemed like an affable, flirtatious
guy, and he was really cute. Despite our mutual attraction, I had no desire to
start up with him. I kept holding out hope for some kind of peace treaty with
Kale, and I knew a liaison with his executive producer would err on the side of
bad taste and ill-advised company behavior. Yet here he was, acting all cheerful
and smiling.

“Hey, how’s it going?” he asked with that
familiar grin.

“Good,” I replied, taking another sip of
coffee.

He moved forward and asked, “Can I sit?”

I motioned for him to sit and he did. Maya
would be here soon and deflect any overt come-ons, so I felt comfortable. “How
long have you been working with Kale?” I asked.

“About five years,” he replied.

“Really? That’s pretty long for this
town,” I said.

“Nah, good relationships last,” he replied
and eyed me for a moment. “You know, Kale mentioned you two went out.”

“Is that all he said?” I asked, feeling
out the situation. I hoped Kale had not told him about the mess I had made
because it was embarrassing.

“Pretty much,” he said. “He’s kind of
private. Are you still seeing him?”

“No,” I said and looked down.

“No?” he asked as he cocked his head to
try and grab my attention again. “You’re single?”

“Yes, but … ”

“But?”

“But I’m not looking,” I said with
disinterest. I wanted some firm boundaries set with Curtis right away.

Curtis seemed entertained and laughed.
“That so?”

And then Maya showed up and eyed Curtis
with suspicion. I stood up and she kissed me on each cheek European style and
said, “Hola, chica.”

“Maya, this is my executive producer,
Curtis,” I said as I sat back down.

Maya nodded and took a seat between us at
the small table. Curtis looked at Maya who seemed serious and guarded. He took
it as a cue and stood up. He nodded at Maya and grinned at me, “Hey, nice to
meet you. I have a meeting so I’ll see you
later,” he said and waved as he left.

“Oh I see, yes, he’ll see you later, will he?” she said with a
look that suggested disapproval.

“Come on! I work for him,” I protested at
the suggestion.

“Sí, and it’s best you keep thinking that
way, chica,” she replied.

“Oh, but they’re going to cast the movie
soon.” I laughed. “That will be fun!”

“Kale said you never play with the talent.”
She looked at me seriously again.

“But I can look,” I said with a laugh.
Then I shifted and leaned forward to speak in a low voice. “Is Kale seeing
someone new?”

Maya looked uncomfortable. “We should not
speak of this,” she warned.

“Oh, come on. I won’t tell,” I reassured
her.

Maya looked ready to squeal when the
person in question, Kale, walked up. I made a mental note not to take breakfast
so close to the office. He looked at the two of us and smiled. My heart jumped
in my chest, and I shifted away. I felt a surge of desire and frustration. I
missed him. He looked me straight in the eyes and nodded. God, this man was striking
to look at. His deep blue-green eyes always lit my fire. I also found his
well-built body balanced by his broad, lightly hairy chest a big turn on. I
feared I might need to wipe drool away.

“Ladies, you having a nice breakfast?” he
asked, looking right at me.

“Sí,” replied Maya. “You join us, yes?”

Kale shook his head and maintained my
gaze. “No, meetings all morning, but you enjoy,” he replied and walked on.

My stare stayed fixed on his sculpted backside
– that made two perfectly shaped derrieres in one morning, and I was in heaven.
He was wearing slacks and a white shirt and tie. He was a “suit,” that was for
sure, but one who looked more like a male model with those high, angular cheekbones
and his perfectly slicked-back blond hair. He didn’t normally wear suits, so I
figured something was up today – maybe with the financiers. He had once said he
had to look the part when he met with the money people. He normally wore casual
T-shirts and jeans – all, of course, expensive and pressed. He never looked
sloppy.

“You feel for him?” asked Maya.

I nodded ever so slightly and felt my eyes
water a little. I quickly composed myself and responded, “Yes, but I fucked it
up.”

Maya nodded, “Sí, and he a good guy.”

Was she rubbing salt in my wound? I didn’t
think she meant to, but she wasn’t making me feel any better. I sulked for a
moment, then sighed and sucked in air. Maya changed the subject and mentioned
she was going to Mexico for a couple of weeks to see family. I listened but was
distracted. It hit me how hard it was going to be working by Kale’s side in
these coming months, but I was determined not to mess up my first professional
screenwriting job. I didn’t need to compound everything and make it worse.

My mind momentarily drifted to Drew, my
love-hate nemesis. I had not seen him since the day he confessed his love and
his desire to avoid any significant commitment that could lead to marriage. Remember,
I had an affair with Drew, got caught, and broke Kale’s heart. In turn, Drew
confessed his relationship issues, and in turn broke my heart. We have not even
texted or emailed. I needed to stay away from him. Our encounters had ruined
everything with Kale – and here I was full of feelings of loss, longing and
despair with no one to blame but my weak self.

Maya noticed the sadness in my eyes. “You
need to move on, chica,” she urged. “You can’t let this go on. It makes you
sad. I don’t like you sad. You’re too beautiful.”

I sighed and nodded. “You have fun in Mexico.
I’ll miss you.”

Maya stood up and leaned over to hug me.
“Be safe,” I said.

“Sí,” she replied and stepped back. She
smiled and left with a cheerful step and spring. She seemed happy. I realized I
had not asked her a thing about her own life. I decided to find out what was
putting that spring in her step when she came home.

A short time later, I walked into the
office to find Curtis and Kale in a heated discussion with Monica. I walked
right into it and all three turned and looked at me with unhappiness. I was
stunned and wondered what it was all about. Monica stood there and stared at
me. She seemed very hesitant and then finally shoved a stack of notes at me.

“What’s this?”

Monica’s eyes shifted from Kale to Curtis
and then back to me. “Notes on your revisions.”

“Oh, okay,” I replied uncertainly. I
started to read them. My eyes widened. “This is a complete rewrite,” I
protested. “Am I not doing what you want?” I asked with insecurity coursing through
my veins.

Kale looked at Curtis and then at me and
sighed. “Just do the revisions,” he replied in an unpleasant way. Kale turned
and walked stridently back to his office. He looked annoyed and frustrated.

Curtis stared at me. “Well, you heard
him,” he said.

Monica shrugged and walked away toward
Kale’s office, which bothered me. She had his ear, and she was the script
supervisor, not the writer. Something about that on both a personal and
professional level bothered me. I wasn’t sure what the subtext in that
interaction meant. Anxiety rushed through my mind. I wasn’t feeling like myself
at all – it was all much too serious. I needed comic relief – all good
California girls can joke their way through any situation. I tried to think of
something entertaining to say.

“This isn’t Water World,” I said with a sniff.

Curtis grinned at me. He got the joke and
replied, “You better hope not.”He
moved in closer, and I looked up from the notes. He smiled at me in a genuine
way. “You want some unsolicited advice?”

I nodded, and he stared at me for one more
second. “You should just sleep with me and get it over with.”

He laughed and snickered. I think my mouth
must have dropped open. He wasn’t being the least bit threatening. Was this
sexual harassment? What did he mean by that? And what did any of it have to do
with the script notes? He touched my shoulder and rubbed it, and then he turned
and walked away. I felt like a confused child. Between the artistic insecurity
and the puzzling comment, I was just lost. I decided to go back to my office
and follow the script notes to the letter.

We all have our favorite characters we love to root for whether in fiction or on TV or film. So, I thought I would share my short list of my...

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About Me

I am a publisher, author, produced screenwriter and outspoken funny girl. You never know what I'm going to say on this blog. Could be straightforward and serious, or it could be cheeky and funny -- it all depends on what's on my mind. If something sounds "off," it's more likely said tongue-in-cheek than serious.
I like nothing better than to crack up, and when I'm working to crack myself up! Life's too short to take it seriously. Authors who work with me always have a good time. You will never find anything conservative or boring around here! Visit my website at www.3LPublishing.com.
I am publishing a new book very soon titled Body in the Trunk. Look for a winter 2014 release.